Flowing unit for oil well controllers



.36 l BY QA.

P. L. MGLEAN FLOWING UNIT FOR OIL WELL CONTROLLERS Filed June 22, 1950 July 7, 1953 Patented July 7, 1953 FLOWING UNIT FOR OIL WELL CONTROLLERS Paul McLean,-Levelland,V Tex., assigner of ifteenpercent to M. L. '\Morgan, Hockley County, T eX..

Application June22f, 1950,`Serial No'. 169,565"

6 Claims. (Cl. 16S-17.)

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in flowing units for oil well control- 1ers and the primary object of the present ina vention is to provide a device that will'effectively prevent the formation of paraffin on the inner walls of an oil supply pipe and flow lines which normally clogs such conduits.

Another very important object of the present invention is to provide a valve mounted in an oil supply line, well below the surface of the ground, together with a means whereby the valve may be selectively urged to its open and closed positions by a yswitch disposed remotely from the valve and above the ground.

A further object of the present -invention is to provide a flowing unit for oil well controllers utilizing a. heating unit in conjunction with-the valve to prevent the formation of parain upon the inner walls of an oil supply. pipe and which heating unit is so constructed as to permit a swabber to extend into the pipe withouty engaging the heating unit.

A still further aim Aof. the present invention is to provide a device of the aforementioned character that is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, efficient and durable in operation, inexpensive to manufacture, install and service, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is.

intended. Y

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter descrbed and clamed, reference beng had to the -accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a wellr casing showing the oil supply pipe and its outlet lines of the present invention mounted on the pipe;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view of Figure l to show the internal construction of the heater unit;

Figure 3 is a transverse horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of Vsection line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical detail view taken substantially on the plane of section line 4-4 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged view taken from the opposite side of Figure 4 and with parts broken away and shown in section for the convenience of explanation.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration; thereis discloseda Vpreferred embodiment of the present invention,V the numeral I0 represents a vertical pipe casing in which'there is mounted a supply pipe I2 whose upperend extends through a cap I4 on the upper end of the casing I0 and which is joined with -a branch conduit I6 having. a manually operated valve IS for controlling the flowV of oil through the conduit I6.

Upper and lower collars and v22 .are suit-Y ably securedabout the pipe I2 intermediate the ends of the pipe I2. The collar 20 includes va depending skirt or flange 24 and the collar 22 includes an upstanding skirt or flange 26. The up'` per end of a sleeve 28 is surrounded by the flange 24 and the lower end of the sleeve 28 is surl rounded by the flange 26.

An electrical heating wire 30, of any suitable well knowntype, is spiralled about the .pipe I2 and is confined within the sleeve 28.

current by insulated Wires 32 that extend through the collar 2U and which are disposed exteriorly of the pipe I2 but within the casing I 0 until they pass through the cap I4. A cylinder of insulating material 34 is mounted in the sleeve 28 and embraces the wire 32 so that the section of the pipe contacted by the wire will be effectively heated.

A valve housing 36 is interposed in the pipe I2 immediately above the collar 20 and a suitable valve is positioned in the housing 36 and includes an operating shaft 38 'that projects from r the housing to support a pulley 40.

A reversible electric motor 42 is supported on a i, mounting bracket 44 carried exteriorly of .the

The drive shaft pipe I2 above the housing 36. of the motor 42 supports a pulley 46 that is connected to the pulley by a pulley belt 48. An operator or switch is provided for the motor and is electrically connected to the motor by insulated wires 52. The switch 50 is disposed remotely from the motor and exteriorly of the drill hole for the casing I0.

Obviously. the motor is to be enclosed within an air tight case which also encloses the belt 48 and pulley 40 to prevent sparks from the motor or the drive connection from igniting fumes,

Every oil well has a certain bottom hole temperature as well as a very high pressure, ranging anywhere from six or eight hundred pounds up to thousands of pounds pressure.

Most apparatus of the character relative to this invention suggest heating units but fail to anticipate the valve unit located above'a single heat unit forming theV present invention; Without the.

The wire l 30 is connected to a suitable source of electric valve unit, the heated oil under pressure will cool off immediately, therefore, the oil must be removed from the heated zone relieved of pressure in order to retain the oil hot or warm.

With a heating unit suflicient to accomplish the desired result, the supply pipe would become too hot and would stretch or buckle and the oil would be affected unfavorably, but with the heating unit and valve arrangement of the instant invention this undesirable occurrence is eliminated.

At the bottom of a well where heating units have been heretofore installed, the parafn is usually in liquid form, because the oil at such depths is ordinarily suiciently hot to retain the parafiin melted. Therefore, the heating unit proposed is located intermediate the ends of the pipe l2.

The purpose of the present invention is not necessarily to do away with salt water and other hazards although it will tend to reduce such hazards. Rather, the present invention is to rid the tubing or pipe I of paran which starts freezing at approximately 70 C., and which congeals or freezes more readily under pressure and does not congeal or freeze ordinarily out from under pressure.

Practically7 all oil wells have a different bottom hole temperature, therefore, one well, say 5000 feet deep might not have any trouble with parafn until the oil rises within or 100 feet of the top of the well, however, in another well the same depth, paraflin might start congealing or freezing at 400 or 500 feet from the well top. In extreme cases, paraflin has been known to congeal or freeze at a depth of 1000 or 1200 feet, but never any deeper.

The main feature of the present invention is to melt the paraffin back into the oil, to keep the oil hot or warm after it is heated, through the use of a valve located above the single heating unit. The device is placed in operation at the first collection of paraffin, depending absolutely upon the bottom hole temperature.

It should be noted that a thermostatical control or heat responsive member T is operatively connected to the heating unit. Such a structure is required in order to prevent overheating of the heating unit which will cut oif at a predetermined high temperature.

Additional or alternate means may be employed for actuating the valve, such as a cog system or other suitable drive means void of sparks which would ignite gas or oil fumes.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A flowing unit for oil well controllers coinprising a vertically disposed supply pipe having an upper end portion exposed from a drill hole, an insulated sleeve about the pipe intermediate the ends of the pipe, an electrical heating unit within the sleeve and surrounding the pipe, a thermostatic control operatively connected to the heating unit to prevent overheating of the pipe, a valve in the pipe immediately above the sleeve, a reversible electric motor supported on the pipe above the valve and operatively connected to the valve for selectively opening and closing the valve, and a switch disposed remotely from the motor and electrically connected to the motor.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said motor includes a drive shaft, a drive pulley on said drive shaft, said valve including an operatlng shaft, a driven pulley on said operating shaft, and an endless belt trained about said pulleys.

3. A flowing unit for oil well controllers comprising a vertically disposed supply pipe, upper and lower collars on said pipe intermediate the ends of said pipe, said upper collar including a depending flange surrounding the pipe and said lower collar including an upstanding flange surrounding the pipe, an insulated sleeve embracing the pipe and having an upper end surrounded by the flange of the upper collar and a lower end surrounded by the flange of the lower collar, a heating unit about the pipe and confined within said sleeve, a valve in the pipe immediately above the upper collar for controlling the flow of oil from the pipe, a reversible electric motor supported on the pipe above the upper collar and operatively connected to the valve for selectively urging the valve to its open and closed positions, a switch disposed remotely from the motor and electrically connected to the motor, and a thermostatic control operatively connected to the heating unit and mounted in the sleeve to break the supply of current to the heating unit after the heating unit has heated the pipe to a predetermined temperature.

4. A flowing unit for oil well controllers comprising a vertically disposed supply pipe having an upper end exposed from a drill hole, a valve mounted in the pipe intermediate the ends of the pipe, an insulated sleeve embracing the pipe, a heating unit about the pipe and within the sleeve, and means connected to the valve for selectively urging the valve to its open and closed position, said means including a reversible electric motor supported on said pipe above said valve and operatively connected to the valve for selectively urging the valve to its open and closed positions, a switch disposed remotely from the motor and electrically connected to the motor, and a thermostatic control operatively connected to the heating unit and mounted in the sleeve to break the supply of current to the heating unit after the heating unit has heated the pipe to a predetermined temperature.

5. An apparatus for conducting oil from deep wells, said apparatus comprising an elongated vertically disposed supply pipe, a single insulated sleeve disposed about an intermediate portion of the pipe, an electrical heating unit within the sleeve, a thermostatic control operatively connectedto the heating unit and located within the sleeve to prevent overheating of the pipe, a valve in the pipe immediately above the sleeve, an electric motor mounted on the pipe above the valve and operatively connected to the valve for selectively opening and closing the valve, and a switch disposed remotely from and electrically connected `to the motor.

6. The combination of claim 5 and an air tight case supported on the pipe and enclosing the motor, valve and sleeve.

PAUL L. MCLEAN.

References Cited in the le Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 495,071 Thomson Apr. 11, 1893' 1,169,261 Huff Jan. 25, 1916 1,309,721 Drinkern July 15, 1919 2,268,978 White Jan. 6, 1942 2,451,989 Smith Oct. 19, 1948 2,500,305 Ackley Mar. 14, 1950 2,530,280 Ackley Nov. 14, 1950 

